Still-Life Photographers

About the only thing still-life photographers and landscape photographers have in common is the camera. While landscape photographers are taking picture of the aliveness in nature, but still-life photographers take picture of inanimate objects. Because these pictures must be put together before they can be captured, still-life photographers need to have skills beyond those of regular photographers.

Still-life photographers take pictures of cups, shoes, watches, marbles, and anything else that doesn’t move or have life. In fact, a still-life photographer’s shots can often fall into this category when using live items like plants and flowers. The whole idea is that the subject should not move, which is true of plant life when taken in a studio, it’s alive but doesn’t move.

If you would like to know some of the best tips for taking fabulous still-life photos, take a look at the list below:
• Controlled Lighting - still-life photographers know that inside of the studio is where they will have a better time in manipulating the light. Because still-life photos are usually taken of a small sized area, it can be tricky to master and therefore requires a certain expertise.
• Background – once you figure out what color is best suited for your background, you can place a sheet of this color behind the still-life image you plan on shooting. Be sure that background sheet is secured on all sides so that the ends can’t be seen when looking through the lens.
• Be creative – this may be the most important tip because of the boredom that can go along with shooting inanimate objects. The best still-life photographers know how to think outside of the proverbial box to come up with extremely interesting and thought provoking images.

Because of the special skill set that is required to become a sought after still-life photographer, it is best to study under one before venturing out on your own. Getting a job as an assistant is a great way to gain experience while learning at the same time. You’ll find out still-life photographers don’t have to do monotonous work…not with the right amount of experience and creativity behind the camera.